Sister of An Outlaw REWRITTEN
by The Dust In Dreams
Summary: It had been 5 years since Charlotte Elanor Locksley had last seen her brother Robin. She had thought that those years were the worst that life could throw at her. She had no idea of what was to come... Review!
1. Bored Waiting

Hiya. This is the rewritten version of 'Sister of An Outlaw', because I felt that the writing was of poor quality and it didn't really make me interested in what I was writing. In my opinion, you can tell whether a writer really enjoys the story they're writing by how they write, and I didn't feel that the original was my best efforts. So I decided to rewrite it and make it more interesting.

It's still essentially the same story and Charlotte is still the same character, it's just changed around a bit. If you read Sister of An Outlaw, then you'll be able to tell the difference in the start. For one, I've expanded a lot more (this whole chapter) on life before Robin returned and I've also added bits from my one time filler chapter in, because I think that the whole chapter was pointless and I really didn't enjoy writing it.

Anyway, I hope you like it and if you haven't read Sister of An Outlaw, I might keep it up for a bit so you can compare the two. Hopefully, you think that this is better. I know I do.

Disclaimer: I don't own Robin Hood BBC, but I do own Charlotte.

Reviews are nice, because they make my day.

**Amelli: Sarah, shut up and get on with the story.**

Ok, ok, I'm shutting up!

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Eighteen year old Charlotte Elanor Locksley sat in her room in Locksley Manor, embroidering a handkerchief and wishing to escape from her life. She pushed strands of caramel brown hair from her heart shaped face and gazed out of the window through chocolate brown eyes at the sky. She sighed.

It had been five years since her older brother Robin had gone to war in the Holy Land and Charlotte had missed him every day. For a year, she had received constant letters from him, a seemingly never ending stack of letters. Then one day, nothing came. No letter at all. Four years of silence.

This had, of course coincided with a change of Sheriff. The old one had been Sir Edward of Knighton, an old friend of Charlotte and Robin's parents. But the new one was no friend of Charlotte's and she certainly was no friend of his. He raised taxes and did not care for anyone but himself.

The new Sheriff had not been the only change in Nottingham. The Sheriff had appointed a man called Guy of Gisbourne to look after the Locksley estates and this had only increased Charlotte's frustration at not being able to do anything. Every day, she had to sit down, like a good little girl, do some embroidery (The manor was now covered in embroidered items), read the same book over and over again, and then she was finally allowed to go out for a couple of hours. She always counted down the hours until she could get out of the manor, get out of Gisbourne's presence, get out of the restricting life she lived.

The hours out was usually spent with her best friend Will Scarlett, the son of Locksley's carpenter, who was the same age as her, or with Lily, a girl who was a year older than Charlotte and taught her how to use knives, cartwheel, do back flips and front flips, climb trees without getting her clothes dirty and to always bring leggings with her when she came to practise. This had ended when Lily was killed in a riot three years ago. Charlotte and Will had just managed to escape unscathed.

The time was spent having running races, climbing trees, practising with weapons, helping out with families in the village and generally having fun. Charlotte would teach Lily and Will to read and write and they would help her relax. One time, they all lay down in the grass on the hill overlooking Locksley and watched the clouds, pointing out interesting shapes. Charlotte was never bored when she was with them.

Charlotte would always win at running and climbing, but nobody could make her laugh like Lily could. Every day, there was always some new joke that she had been told. And nobody could make anything out of wood like Will could. One day he'd make a bow, the next he'd make a box. Charlotte never knew what to expect him to make.

Lily had been like a sister to Charlotte, but she wasn't sure of her feelings towards Will. She'd always liked him, and he had always liked her, but lately, she had found that there was something else about him that she wasn't quite sure of. It wasn't anything bad; but it felt like something that wasn't friendship.

After, it was more embroidery, more reading the book and then food and usually listening to Gisbourne's droning voice telling her more rules, more things that the Sheriff wanted. There was also Charlotte's teacher to consider. She was a small, plump woman who stayed at the manor with Charlotte as the years went by. To be truthful, her teacher had been a mixed blessing. On one hand, she was never alone with Gisbourne, but on the other, Charlotte's teacher was a perfectionist. Every word had to be perfectly spelt, every stitch had to be perfectly sewn, every arrow had to be dead on target. Shooting arrows was never a challenge, as both Charlotte and Robin had inherited a talent for archery from their mother, Grace. Charlotte had also inherited her mother's looks, but her eyes belonged her father, Alexander.

What neither Gisbourne nor her teacher had ever known, was that at night, Lady Marian of Knighton, daughter of the old sheriff, and her had dressed up as the Nightwatchmen and given food and medicine to the poor. It was some comfort, just to know that she was helping, even though they didn't know who she was. Gisbourne had always been forbidden to enter her room and her teacher paid no attention to her, once her lessons had finished.

Charlotte had also been taught how to use a sword, but she never used it as one of the Nightwatchmen. In truth, the only weapons she loved were the bow and the knife. Lily had taught her to use knives and in a few years, Charlotte was better than her and some of the knife masters in Nottingham. Lily had also taught her to fight unarmed, both against someone with a weapon and someone without a weapon. Charlotte had learned both styles quickly and could soon beat Lily every time.

When Charlotte turned eighteen, Gisbourne had to remove himself from Locksley. Charlotte was deemed capable enough to look after the estates, but with guidance from Gisbourne and the Sheriff. Finally, there was no more listening to Gisbourne, keeping her head down, reading the same book, and embroidering every single item in the manor. Charlotte's teacher left, but Charlotte gave her money to go and make a new life outside of Nottingham.

As Charlotte remembered the most boring times of her life, she heard a soft whistle and a pebble sailed through the open window and clattered on to the floor. She picked up the pebble with a smile and went to the window to see the owner of the pebble.

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Yes, I know it's short, but I have a test tomorrow and I need to study more. :-P Anyway, review!

Luv Sarah


	2. He's Back

Hey anyone who reads this but doesn't review. The fact that I have no reviews depresses me. Oh well. Here's a new chapter and I'm sorry it took so long to update. I've been snowed in under schoolwork and study. I've also had my other commitments, so it's been difficult to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and please, please, please (x 100) review. They make me smile (and just between you and me, they make me dance around the room), but more importantly, they get me motivated to write the next chapter. Seeing as nobody appears to read this, I'm talking to myself again. At least, I hope I'm not.

Guess what? I got 89% on my Geography test! All the study paid off! This is a slightly longer chapter to celebrate that fact. *Dances around the room* Yay me! I also came top in my German test! Fantastisch! Wunderbah! Spitze! Toll! (Fantastic! Wonderful! Great! Yay!) And now, for the big one…. I CAME TOP IN MY MATHS TEST!!!! (Sorry, that's really big for me, I never come top in maths)

Ok, getting on with the chapter now before I get killed…

Disclaimer: What, you still think I own Robin Hood? Tough luck mate, you're wrong. I own nothing but Charlotte. (But I wish I did own Robin Hood, because if I did, the second series wouldn't have ended so sadly.)

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To her surprise, it was Will's younger brother, Luke. "Do you have a message from Will?" Charlotte asked curiously. "Yes," Luke replied. "He says you might want to come down to the village, and to be quick. There's a surprise for you." "Is it a good one or a bad one?" Charlotte wanted to know. Luke grinned. "He thought you might say that. He also says that you'll just have to find out."

Charlotte shrugged, threw Luke his pebble back and went downstairs and out to the village. There, she saw two men walking towards the manor. As they got closer, Charlotte recognised them. A smile crept onto her face and she started to run towards them. "Robin! Robin!" She almost shrieked his name as she threw herself at her brother. She hugged him tightly and felt a small tear creep from her eyes. She blinked it away and drew back, surveying him.

He'd grown and become more muscular. He was thinner, as if he hadn't eaten properly in a long time. His hair, exactly the same colour as hers, was still the same though. His forest green eyes danced with laughter and they both hugged again. Relief flooded Charlotte's mind. _He's home,_ she thought. _He's finally home. Now I don't ever have to face Gisbourne again. No more excruciating boredom. Finally, I can go back to normal._

"What about me?" asked a forlorn voice. Charlotte laughed as Robin released her. "Same old Much," she teased. "Do you still have the same appetite?" Robin rolled his eyes. "I couldn't get him to shut up about food for the _entire_ journey. It was torture!"

"Speaking of torture," Charlotte said, narrowing her eyes. "Why didn't you write? I got a year of letters, practically one every day. And then nothing, no letters, no warning, nothing but silence." Robin frowned. "I was occupied. We were on the move and it was hard to predict where we'd go next. By the time your letter would have arrived, we'd have moved on, so I thought I would write when we found a permanent base. But when we did, circumstances caused me to return here, so I thought there was no real point in sending them," he told her.

Charlotte shrugged. "Never mind that now. You two will want a bath; sleep and-" "Food?" Much practically begged. "My belly cannot take this anymore!" Charlotte grinned. "Definitely the same old Much," she replied as they walked back to the manor discussing changes in Nottingham. When Robin started to talk about the new Sheriff, Charlotte clapped a hand over his mouth. "Not now and not here. Walls have ears," she muttered, moving her lips as little as possible. She removed her hand and continued talking about the changes in Nottingham.

When they reached the manor, Gisbourne was waiting for them inside. "Locksley, I am Sir Guy of Gisbourne. I have assisted Lady Charlotte in taking care of your lands and I would like a bit more respect in front of the peasants," he said. The tone of his voice was disdainful and his eyes flickered with some sort of emotion. Charlotte couldn't decide if it was hate or if it was contempt. _Wait a minute, _she thought. _Emotion? Since when did Gisbourne show emotion?_

"If this is how you treat my peasants, now wonder they steal," Robin was saying to Gisbourne. As Gisbourne drew breath to reply, Charlotte cut him off. "Brother, you are weary and hungry. You need food, a bath and sleep. Goodbye Sir Guy," she said, taking Gisbourne's arm and steering him towards the door.

She closed it and brushed her hands, feeling a weight drop from her shoulders. As she looked at Robin, she frowned. "Who stole?" she asked wearily. Robin explained how a boy had been found with two sacks of flour in his home. "Speaking of stealing, why does Dan Scarlett have only one hand?" Robin asked sharply. Charlotte's shoulders drooped. "Because Will and Luke stole. I warned them not to. I said I'd give them my own food, but they decided not to listen to me. I did try to go and after them on my horse, but my teacher caught me leaving the house and so I could do nothing," she said sadly. Robin saw that she regretted being caught and he hugged her again. "What's done is done," he said. "Anyway, you were saying about the Sheriff?"

Charlotte looked at him and had drawn breath to speak when Much spoke up before her. "I'm starving," he whined. "Can we not discuss this later?" "How inconsiderate of me," Charlotte replied. "Come on, baths, food and sleep. You have certainly earned it." When Robin started to protest, she shook her head. "No buts, Robin. You need it."

Robin had refused both sleep and food and only washed briefly. When he was dressed in clean clothes, he came to Charlotte's door and tried to open it, but it was locked. So he knocked and called, "It's only me." The door unlocked and Charlotte stood back to let him in. "You never used to lock your door," Robin said accusingly. "Things changed. Especially since we had a new Sheriff," Charlotte said, sighing.

"Yes, about that. What's he like?" Robin asked. Charlotte looked outside to check if there was anyone, then looked around the window. She locked her door and turned back to Robin.

"The new Sheriff's name is Vaysey and he is both cruel and vicious. He does not care what others think, but seeing as everyone is too afraid of incurring his wrath and losing their lands, it is not a problem," Charlotte explained. "Surely you have not been like them all this time?" Robin asked sceptically. Charlotte laughed and her musical laughter filled the room. "It is as if you do not know me at all," she replied, smiling. "I have tried to intervene and appeal to his better nature, but of course it does not exist." "So what have you done?" Robin wanted to know. "Well, I have tried appealing to the other nobles. Sometimes it works, such as when the Sheriff wanted another act that would have forced all nobles and peasants to give two tenths of our income to Nottingham. As it is, people cannot even afford food, so I appealed to the other nobles and to their sense of security, albeit quietly. We took a vote and decided against this act," Charlotte explained, feeling a touch of pride. "What did the Sheriff say to this?" Robin wondered aloud. "He was not pleased. I am still awaiting his punishment," Charlotte replied. "Punishment? Why?" Robin said incredulously. "He had just lost the opportunity to gain a lot of money. He is greedy, and therefore he wants everything. Even when he is satisfied to gorging, he hungers still," Charlotte replied. "Were I him, I would punish myself too."

"That settles it. I'm going to see Edward," Robin decided. "Why? I have told you everything," Charlotte replied. "I need to hear his side of things before I go to Nottingham tomorrow," Robin replied. "I wish you luck," Charlotte replied.

As Robin left, Charlotte started another embroidery, feeling bored again. But this time, she felt confused as well. This wasn't how she was supposed to feel. Robin was supposed to come back and she was supposed to have more freedom. She wasn't supposed to be doing this embroidery. She frowned and then winced as she pricked her finger on the needle. Suddenly, she heard raised voices coming from the village.

As she went out, she saw Gisbourne and his men once more. However, this time they were outside Will's home. Charlotte frowned and started to run, anxious to find out what was happening. "What has this family done to permit such behaviour?" she asked as she reached them, her hands going to her hips.

"They have assisted the one who was arrested for stealing flour and will be punished for their crimes," Gisbourne said smugly.

Charlotte's heart sank, followed by sudden realisation. _This is it,_ she thought. _This is my punishment._ "Surely it cannot be all of them," she argued.

"No, it is just the two sons," Gisbourne replied. Charlotte fought the urge to slap his smug face. She sighed resignedly. "Very well," she replied quietly, and as they took Will and Luke away, Charlotte heard a voice inside her. _You'll never see them again,_ it said. She refused to listen to it. Then she heard Gisbourne riding back.

Charlotte almost fainted at what he said.

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Ooh, I love cliffhangers, don't you? They drive you mental and yet they're brilliant at the same time.

Luv Sarah.


	3. My Fault

Hey again. I'm sorry for being so slow, but I've had a lot of things building up and it's been hard finding time to write this. You may have seen last chapter that I was celebrating a lot of good results. Well, there were those tests, and I've also had a very big assignment to do, which took up a lot of my time, so I didn't have any free time to write this. But I'm back now and the better news is that it's the holidays, so I'll be writing a lot more and updating as well.

Anyway, enjoy and please review.

Disclaimer: I don't own Robin Hood. Will that satisfy you? The only thing in here that I own is Charlotte.

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"I may have neglected to mention to you that the Sheriff has changed the punishment for stealing to hanging," he said smugly, before riding away.

Charlotte felt numb. They couldn't kill her best friend. Then she remembered that she was no longer dealing with the old Sheriff. She had stopped him and that meant he had to get his revenge somehow. But she had never considered that he would stoop this low.

She had to save Will and Luke. The problem lay in the fact that the Sheriff wouldn't listen to her. Suddenly an idea struck her. The Sheriff may not listen to her, but he might listen to Robin. If Robin approached the Sheriff in the right way, he could persuade him to pardon them…

It was a dream. The part of her that knew what the Sheriff was like understood that, but she didn't want to listen to it. She had a hope, and she was going to cling onto it with every fibre of her being.

Suddenly, she found herself thinking about what would happen if it didn't work. She'd have to watch her best friend die because of her. _They stole_, an indignant part of her screamed. _It's still my fault,_ she thought.

She saw Robin ride into Locksley with Much. He saw her and dismounted. "What's wrong?" he asked gently and Charlotte realised how she must look, pale, scared and stunned. She was saved from having to answer by Dan Scarlett, Will and Luke's father. "Young Benedict got frightened. He told Gisbourne who took the flour," he replied, his voice cracking slightly. "The punishment for stealing is not severe," Much said, puzzled.

"It is now," someone said, and Charlotte realised that she was speaking. "Gisbourne just said. They're to be… they're to be…" She couldn't finish the sentence. "They're going to be hung," Dan finished. "They're to be killed? For stealing?" Much asked indignantly. "That's not right!" Robin put an arm around Charlotte and as they started to walk back to Locksley Manor, Charlotte felt a cold pit of dread settle in her stomach.

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Somehow she managed to get through the rest of the evening and as she lay in bed, tossing and turning, she couldn't get the image of the gallows out of her head. She sat up and felt for her needle and thread. Embroidery might be boring, but it was better than letting her mind wander. She felt sick just thinking of the gallows.

Will had always been there for her, and Luke was a friend as well. Will had listened to her complain about Gisbourne, he had taken her mind off the mind-numbing boredom, he had made a small star out of wood and given it to her when they were children. She picked it up from the table beside her bed and fingered it, smiling as she remembered the girl she had been, who had wondered whether her brother would come home or whether she'd ever be free of Gisbourne.

After Lily had died, Luke had started to spend time with them and Charlotte had started to teach him archery. He'd been an eager student, always wanting to get the arrow right on the target and complaining when he didn't, which was quite a lot of the time. Once Charlotte had taught him the correct stance and told him to never use too many fingers on the bowstring and to remember to relax his grip on the bow so that the arrow didn't have an uncontrollable shot, he began to improve immensely. "You're a good shot," she said with a smile. "And with more practice, you'll be even better."

She fell asleep with the little piece of wood clasped tightly in her hand and woke to a wonderful smell coming from downstairs. As she washed and dressed in a dress that ended midway down her calves and leggings, she wondered how Will and Luke were coping. Putting her hair up into its usual heavy knot at the back of her head, she went downstairs, feeling anxious for her friends.

Robin sat at the table in the dining room. Much was with him, eating as though at any minute his plate would be taken away from him. Charlotte sank down, watching him. "Much, slow down. You will make yourself sick," she told him as a serving girl placed her own breakfast of porridge in front of her. Charlotte gave her a silver coin and the serving girl curtsied as she accepted it and left.

"Do you do that to all the servants?" Robin asked with interest. "Yes," Charlotte answered, reaching for the honey. She added it to her porridge and stirred. "Do you have a problem with it?" she asked as he passed her the milk. "No," Robin replied, as she ate. "These people need the money, Robin. They barely have enough to pay their taxes," she replied, looking at him steadily.

"Are you coming to the Council of Nobles?" Robin asked, changing the subject after a few minutes of silence. "I may as well," Charlotte replied, finishing her porridge. Standing up, she went to saddle her horse, trying to keep her mind from thinking of the gallows. _Let Robin be able to save them_, she thought. _They're the only true friends I have in Locksley. What am I going to do if he can't?_

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Review, my friends. They motivate me to write the next chapter.

Luv Sarah ;-)


	4. Hanging?

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Disclaimer: I don't own Robin Hood BBC, how many times must I tell you? I do own Charlotte, but nothing else.

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As they rode to Nottingham, Charlotte became quiet. She thought about Will and Luke, in the cold, dark, dismal dungeons, with no way of knowing their punishment. In the pocket of her bodice, she took out the wooden star. Just feeling it gave her the strength to ride past the gallows. She shuddered slightly, remembering many good people that had died there. She had not been able to save them.

As they arrived at the Great Hall, Charlotte stopped. "I can't go in there," she told Robin. "Please don't make me." Robin nodded. "Well, what are you going to do?" Much asked. "Don't mind me, I'll just go and find a book to read in the Sheriff's library," she replied, smiling. "If you're sure…" Robin said, entering the hall. Charlotte waited until the door closed and then she turned and headed for the library.

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The library was Charlotte's sanctuary. When she was in Nottingham, she'd always go there for a few hours to read. What a lot of people didn't know, however, was that there was a secret exit in there. It went out straight into Nottingham town and the user got out by lifting a rock in the pavement up. Charlotte would often sneak out when nobody was looking, by pulling a book out and flicking a lever at the back. When she was in the town, she would watch people make things, fascinated by it all. They often showed her how to make the things. Charlotte could spin, weave and make clothes, something that was frowned upon by noble born ladies, and she could also arrange flowers beautifully and blow a glass ball.

Sometimes, she would watch the street performers. The dancers liked her, and would often show her how to dance like them. "If you're ever in a fix, just call on us and we'll let you join," they'd said. The tumblers liked her even more, as she could do back flips, cartwheels and front flips with the same ease they had. Sometimes there were a few singers that would let her join them as well. Charlotte had a good voice, they'd said, and with practice, one day she'd be as good as them.

However, this time, Charlotte stayed put. She didn't know how long the Council of Nobles would go for and she really didn't want Robin to come to the library and not find her. It was her secret and she didn't want anybody to know. Besides, the secret passage might come in useful one day.

Charlotte picked out a book and sat down, but she couldn't concentrate. She put the book down and paced the small room, but nothing could take her mind off her friends. She felt for the wooden star, but even that couldn't do anything. When the Council of Nobles finally finished, she was almost ready to scream with frustration.

"Come on, we're going to see Will, Luke and Benedict," Robin told her as they walked along. "Officially, or are we going to give them moral support?" she asked. "Officially," Robin replied. Charlotte felt sick again. _What if they ask me what the punishment is to be?_ she wondered. _I can't tell them that, not without crying. _

When they reached the dungeons, Robin ordered the jailer to bring them Will, Luke and Benedict. Robin, Charlotte and Much were shown into a room and Robin sat down in the only available chair. As the jailer roughly shoved the three in front of them, Charlotte's hands began to shake with anger. The jailer had no compassion or conscience. He mistreated his prisoners and in Charlotte's eyes, that meant he shouldn't have his job. The Sheriff, however, was of the opposite opinion. _And the idiot wonders why he's got so many people stealing,_ Charlotte thought sarcastically.

"Name?" Robin asked, even though he already knew. "Will and Luke Scarlett," Will replied sullenly, not looking up.

"Your crime?"

"We live in the wrong place and our Sheriff is evil. Our taxes go to him and his stupid birds-" he was cut off as the jailer slapped him. Will fell quiet and Robin moved onto Benedict.

"Your name?"

"Benedict Giddens," he replied nervously.

"Your crime?" Robin asked gently

"Stealing flour," Benedict murmured.

"Are you guilty?"

Benedict looked at his feet. "Yes," he replied in a barely audible whisper. Then in a louder voice, he asked the question that Charlotte had been dreading. "What will we be punished with?"

Will and Luke looked at Charlotte, who averted her eyes, trying not to cry. They got the message though.

"_Hanging?"_

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Wow, this is probably the fastest chapter I've ever written. This was originally a longer chapter, with the last one, but it seemed a bit too long, so I shortened it. Two updates in one day, this must be another record as well. It's also probably the shortest intro I've ever done as well. I'll start the next chapter tomorrow.

Review please, because they make me smile. *Singing* _**Gimme gimme gimme a review after I post this. Won't somebody help me make this story better?**_

Awful singing, I know, but I'm listening to ABBA right now (who are one of the most awesome bands of all time, besides the Beatles and Coldplay).

Luv Sarah ;-)


	5. The Plan

Hello again. This chapter has been written at Easter and so far I've had no chocolate. Weird, considering I love chocolate. Anyway, here's the new chapter. Special thanks goes to the reviewers and to the silent ones: please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Robin Hood BBC, but I do own Charlotte

As the jailers dragged Will, Luke and Benedict away, Charlotte almost collapsed in tears. She turned away for a few minutes and then the jailer brought another man in. "Who are you?" she asked, as her despair was replaced by confusion. "You're not from Locksley, I know that much."

The man looked like a charmer. He had dark brown hair, blue eyes and his nose looked as if it had been broken. All in all, he looked like a tavern joker who'd been caught quite a few times. He would have been handsome if she liked that type of man. As it was, Charlotte thought he lacked something, a sense of honesty perhaps.

He looked at her and then back to Robin. "You saved me before and you can do it again," he said. "I'm sorry, do you know each other?" Charlotte interrupted, feeling even more confused. "It's a long story," Much muttered.

Robin ignored them. "I can't save the others and now you're going to end up like them," he told the man. "What d'you mean?" the man asked. Robin stood up and they left.

Back in Locksley Manor, Charlotte went upstairs. Robin made to follow her, but Thornton motioned for him to wait. They heard Charlotte cry out, "Brutes!" and heard the crash of a thrown object against the wall.

Inside, Charlotte was fuming. She kicked her bed and threw her pillow across the room. Picking up her book, she threw that against the wall, feeling frustrated that she could do nothing. Suddenly an idea struck her.

Holy men could not hang. But Will, Luke, Benedict and that other man weren't holy men. _What if I could make them?_ she thought. Suddenly, she thought of something else. _Even if they became holy men, the Sheriff would still want to keep an eye on them. _Ignoring that thought, she tried to think of who would help her. _Geoffrey might,_ she thought.

Geoffrey was the local jester, an old friend and had entertained both Charlotte and Robin many times when they were younger. He was an excellent actor and had the greatest collection of costumes that Charlotte had ever seen. _Perhaps if he wore the blue cloak of a priest and a false beard, he could pass for one at a distance. It's worth a try._

When Robin left for the feast in Nottingham, Charlotte began to put her plan into action. Kneeling down, she felt for the loose floorboard near her bed. As she lifted it up, she saw the small compartment containing two four-inch knives, a coil of rope, a bag of money and her Nightwatchmen mask.

She dressed in dark leggings and a dark shirt. Over it all, she wore a dark cloak with a hood. Taking the coil of rope, she tied one end to her bedpost and threw the other end out of the window. Taking the bag of money between her teeth, she climbed down the rope, being careful not to be seen.

Using the shadows to cloak herself in darkness, she crept towards Geoffrey's house. Knocking on the door quietly, she waited for someone to open it. Geoffrey's wife Catherine opened it. Standing back to let her in, she led Charlotte to the main room of their small cottage.

"My lady, what do you require of us?" Geoffrey asked, bowing. "I have not the time I need to explain the full story, but I need you to pose as a priest. If you succeeded in fooling the Sheriff, then you would save four lives. I will pay you well. Please say that you will," Charlotte begged.

"What if I fail?" Geoffrey asked. "Then I will make sure you and your family can escape Nottingham. You may take your children and anything you have that is of value and leave. I have friends who would help you," Charlotte replied. "Then I will do it," Geoffrey agreed. "Here is the money," Charlotte said, handing it over. "And thank you."

When she returned, she heard Robin and Much returning. Yanking the rope up into her room and changing quickly into nightclothes, she coiled the rope and stored it back in the compartment. Robin knocked on her door just as she pulled a loose robe around her.

"Can I talk with you?" Robin called. She opened the door and leaned against the doorframe. "I can't not do anything," he said. "Neither can I. I want to get them out of there now," Charlotte replied. "No, you're not doing anything," Robin told her firmly. "What, so I have to stay here? Be a little sheep again and let my friends die? I don't think so!" Charlotte retorted, furious at her brother now.

"But you can help by staying here!" Robin exclaimed. "I refuse to stay here and you can't make me," Charlotte replied stubbornly, her chin jutting out slightly. "You are staying and I can make you," Robin replied. "How dare you! You lost any right to tell me what to do five years ago," Charlotte told him and went inside her room, closing the door and locking it.

Charlotte slept lightly that night. When a deep sleep eventually came, she dreamed she was in Nottingham Castle and her plan didn't work. She watched as her friends had hoods shoved over their heads. At the actual moment of the hanging, she couldn't bear to look.

Charlotte sat up with a jolt. "Just a dream," she murmured breathlessly and looked at the sky outside. It was grey, suiting her mood, but the first rays of sunlight were beginning to appear. Getting up, she washed and dressed in a black dress and leggings. Taking up the loose floorboard, she took out the four-inch knives and the mask, feeling like she was going to need them. Hiding the knives in the two specially concealed sheaths in the bodice of her dress and the mask in a pocket in the skirts of the dress, she found her black cloak, put it on and went downstairs.

Okay, I take it back, _this_ must be the quickest chapter I've ever written. Five chapters now and only one new review! I'm beginning to think nobody likes my fanfic. Quite frankly, I don't care whether I get constructive criticism or praise in reviews, I just like getting them!

I hope you have a wonderful Easter,

Luv Sarah


	6. Escape

Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood BBC, but I do own Charlotte

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Charlotte and Robin walked through the courtyard in the castle, dreading everything. As she walked, Charlotte spotted Geoffrey in his disguise. He was in place. All she had to worry about was looking innocent. As she saw Dan Scarlett in the crowd, she felt empty. "I'm sorry," she whispered, as they walked past him.

Standing next to Marian and watching the proclamation being read out by Robin was hard for Charlotte. She felt as if at any moment she might break down in worry. When she heard the drum beating, she gave the tiniest of nods. This was the signal to Geoffrey, who started to shout out, "They cannot hang! They are holy men!"

This was answered with the Sheriff ordering the guards to arrest Geoffrey and Charlotte's heart sank. She was going to have to watch her friends die after all. With every beat of the drum, Charlotte's heart sank lower and lower. At the actual moment, she couldn't watch.

When she heard the moans coming from the crowd, she remembered all the good times that she'd had with Will and Luke. The first time Luke had shot a bullseye, the first time they'd sat at the top of the hill and watched the clouds. All of the good times were gone forever.

Suddenly, she heard gasps and turned to see Robin fighting an archer. Hope surged wildly inside her. _Please let this not be a dream,_ she prayed as she watched. As Robin put arrows to the string and shot all four ropes, Charlotte celebrated silently.

Then she heard Much's voice. "Master!" he called and Charlotte looked up to see two guards holding a sword at his throat. She looked at Robin to see what he would do and saw him grab a sword from a knocked out guard and throw it. Hitting the two guards on the head, it clattered down noisily.

Suddenly, an archer stood behind Robin, aiming his bow at his heart. Charlotte started to push her way towards him as Robin turned around. She freed herself of the crowd just as the Sheriff nodded at the archer. Charlotte drew a knife and knocked the archer out with the pommel of her knife just as the archer shot. The arrow flew under Robin's arm uselessly.

"Need some help?" she called, grinning. She turned to punch the Sheriff and Gisbourne in the face and turned back. "I've wanted to do that for _years,_" she told Robin as they entered the fighting that had broken out.

Parrying various blows from guards, Charlotte found Dan and Luke Scarlett and Benedict Giddens. Handing them a bag of money, she said, "Take it and don't even think of refusing." Dan accepted it and the three ran.

A guard suddenly began a downward stroke with his sword that would have cleaved Charlotte to the waist, had she not pulled another knife out, stepped towards him and brought the two knives up in an X to keep it from going any further down. Kicking him quickly, she dodged and ran towards the gate, where Geoffrey was standing with Much, Will and the other man. "Robin, come on!" she yelled.

He heard and they all ran, lost in the confusion of the fight. As they approached the gates of Nottingham, they saw archers. "What do we do?" asked Much. Seeing three horses, Robin grabbed the reins of one and mounted. Charlotte grabbed another's reins and got on, feeling the adrenaline coursing through her body. This was so much more exciting than embroidery!

They galloped towards the archers, feeling the whistle of arrows that missed them. When the archers saw that they wouldn't stop, they scattered and ran. The others didn't stop galloping until they reached Sherwood Forest.

As they sat around a small fire that night, Much shivered suddenly. "It's cold," he complained. Charlotte looked at him and then at her dress. Long skirts that rustled weren't exactly, and Much had said he was cold. One the other hand, they were keeping her warm. She made a decision and taking out a knife, she cut the dress from the knees down and gave the newly cut fabric to Much. He wrapped the makeshift blanket around himself. "You need it more than I do," she said when he thanked her.

"I reckon you're gonna need that a lot my friend," said the other man, who had introduced himself as Allan A Dale. When Much looked outraged at being friends with someone like Allan, Charlotte waved a hand at him. "I think we need all the friends we can get right now," she told him. "Hush," Robin said and they listened for a moment.

"S'cuse me!" came a voice from above. "This is our forest." They all looked up. Four men stood there. One was armed with a mace, one with a quarterstaff and two with bows. The others exchanged looks. This was going to be a _very_ long night.

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D'you know, I've written and published three things today, this chapter and a couple of songfics… I'm not saying anything about them; you'll have to read them to find out.

Please review, because they make me happy.

Luv Sarah ;-)


	7. Outlaws

I am _so_ sorry for not writing sooner. Seriously, I've had exam after exam piling on top of me, which meant STUDY! I've also had other commitments as well, which meant not nearly as much time as I would have liked to write. I also didn't really feel inspired, but I'm back now with another chapter. I'm hoping my friend will read this.

Anyway, on with Charlotte's story.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is in this story. All I own is Charlotte. And hopefully, they'll let me have that awesome tree. No? Okay, I don't own that either.

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As Charlotte looked around at the scene before her, she sighed heavily. Last night, four men had tied her, her brother Robin, her brother's friend Much (_I have to remember he's a free man now_, she thought), and Allan, a man they barely knew to trees and were now in the process of robbing them.

_They're outlaws_, she thought. _And so are we._

It seemed almost unreal that she and Robin had given up their titles and taken to the forest. Even now, her muscles ached for a hot bath and a meal. If she could get free, she would be able to go home, pretend this was all a horrible dream. She could forget her brother. He had made his choice and she would have made hers.

In her heart, she knew she'd never do that to him. She'd had five years without him. She couldn't take any more. Even if she could somehow be so cruel as to leave him here, she couldn't abandon Will, or Much. Will was her best friend. What kind of a best friend left the other in trouble?

_Hold on,_ she thought. _Where __**is**__ Will? He said he was going to get some kindling, but that was a while back._ Her mind thought quickly and hope started to rise inside. She almost smiled, but stopped quickly. She couldn't afford anyone to realise Will was still out there.

As she watched the men search their belongings, Charlotte felt grateful that her knives were hidden in the pockets of her dress. When one of the men had tried to search her, she'd kicked him. They had tied her to the tree and had left her alone ever since. _Serves them right for trying to search a girl_, she thought in disgust.

She watched Much try to protest. "We're against the Sheriff as well!" he exclaimed. "Shouldn't we be on the same side?" "So what?" said one man. Another, the biggest of them all, picked up the rabbit that Much had been roasting and went to take a bite out of it. Charlotte almost laughed at the look on Much's face. "I think you'll find that rabbit is not yet cooked," he said half-heartedly. "I think you'll find he eats them raw," said the first man. "Raw?" Much said in disgust. "But that's dangerous!" "

"Shut up," Allan told Much. His shirt had been taken away from him and he looked cold. "You're a noble?" the first man asked Robin. "Yes and no," he replied, as one man held a knife to his throat. Charlotte couldn't help but admire the knife. "You smell like one," said the man. "He smells lovely. Flowers, probably lavender." "It's rose petals," Much said. "You smell too," said the man. "No, I had a bath, he washed. In rose petals," Much said. "And you think you're on our side? How many outlaws take lavender baths?" another asked. The other men shook their heads.

"Look, it isn't lavender!" Much exclaimed. The man with the knife ignored him and went over to Allan. "I found a ha'penny, John," he said, throwing it towards the biggest man. Charlotte sighed inwardly. "You've got our horses. At least let him keep his ha'penny," she said. "You his girl?" asked the first man, jerking a thumb towards Robin. "No, I'm his sister," Charlotte replied, mentally kicking herself. In her mind, she could hear a voice telling her; _Never reveal everything to your opponent, dolt_._ If they know enough about you, they can predict you._

It was funny, but the voice always seemed to sound like her teacher, which was odd, considering she'd had a completely different teacher when she was taught how to fight.

"How come you two don't have purses?" asked the man, jerking Charlotte out of her thoughts. "I wasn't exactly planning on coming here," Robin answered. "Mine went to someone who needed it more than I did," Charlotte told them. "Look, is this what you do?" asked Robin. "What?" replied the man. "Do you actually care who you steal from?" Robin said. "My friend has a ha'penny. It might be all he has." "It is," Allan added. "Heartbreaking. We don't care," said the man. "We're dead men anyway," said the other. "Very sophisticated," Robin commented. The other man held the knife to his throat again. "Let's go," said the third man, who had been rummaging through one of the bags.

As soon as they left, Will ran down. "Those were nice people," said Much. "I'm thinking we should send them a Christmas present," Charlotte added as Will cut through Much's ropes. "If they hadn't taken our weapons, I'd say we should teach them a lesson," Much went on, ignoring her.

Robin, on the other hand, let his ropes fall away and walked forward. "Wait a minute," said Much. "If you'd freed yourself, why didn't you fight?" "Much, there's usually a reason Robin does anything, remember?" Charlotte pointed out. "Anyway, I thought I should wait," Robin answered. "Besides, you were right. We should teach them a lesson."

Picking up some branches, he threw one to each of the men. Going to throw one to Charlotte, she shook her head. "I've got these," she said, and slid two of her knives from the concealed sheaths. "It pays sometimes to be a lady."

"You've got to be joking," Much said. "Nope," replied Robin, grinning. "Let's go."

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I HATE NOT HAVING INSPIRATION

I HATE NOT HAVING THE TIME TO WRITE

I HATE NOT HAVING REVIEWS

Moving on from the hates, thank you to the reviewers, and to the people who added this to their story alerts. Please review, so I can avoid most of the above hates and get chapters up quicker!

Luv Sarah.


	8. Why Locksley?

Last night, I almost put this fanfic on a hiatus. What with commitments and school, I haven't had time to write. I've also been slightly disappointed at the lack of reviews I get. If possible, I'd like two reviews for the next chapter. That's all I'm asking. Two reviews. They don't have to be long, or full of "You're a great writer, keep going". They just have to be there.

Help me to be a better writer. Please?

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_Teacher, if you could see me now, then you'd be horrified_, thought Charlotte. _You'd be asking me why I didn't stick to embroidery._

To be honest, she was wondering that herself.

Standing on top of a large hill and waiting for men to notice her and her friends, she could see her teacher's shocked face in her mind. _"Charlotte Elanor Locksley! What on earth are you doing?"_

Charlotte grinned, reminded very briefly of sunny afternoons spent indoors with her teacher lecturing her on how to behave properly, to which she only half-listened.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and checked her knives again: sharp and (hopefully) lethal to anybody who messed with her. It was a pity she hadn't used them since the fight yesterday.

Her stomach rumbled indignantly and she was reminded that she hadn't had anything to eat since the previous morning.

Her thoughts were torn from her stomach by the outlaws below. They looked around and spotted Charlotte and the others on top of the hill. Charlotte grinned. It was time for luck to turn in _their_ favour. "Take your clothes off," called Robin and the outlaws grudgingly obliged, although the biggest did try to get away.

As she handed Much his jumper, he almost snatched it from her and turned to the outlaws. "You lot are truly despicable," he said. "My master and I fought for five years in the Holy Land. For what, may I ask? So like you lot could run wild? With your lawlessness, your stupid camp and your disgusting… disgusting…" he trailed off, at a loss for words. "Your disgusting what?" asked one of the men cheekily. "Dance," said Robin. "You what?" the man said. "Dance," Robin said. "No way," he said. Robin shot the ground next to his foot with his bow. "Dance," he repeated. "Ouch!" grumbled the man, but he started to move his feet up and down in a sort of jig.

Robin shot the ground next to the other foot. "How does it feel? Hmm? You treat your fellow man like an animal! You take from those, who are worse off and leave them to die. That's disgraceful. You're not Englishmen. You're not who we fought for. You think it is a boast to be dead? Why are you robbing him,"-here he pointed to Allan-"when the Sheriff is robbing us all twenty times over? You skulk in the woods, while he revels in life." "Well, you're not exactly doing anything about it, are you? What are you going to do?" the first man said. Robin considered it for a second. "I'm going to stop him," he said.

"Robin, you can't stop the Sheriff," Much said. "Only the Crown can withdraw his license, you know that." "If it had been that easy, I would have done it years ago," Charlotte added. "Well, when the King returns, the Sheriff will get what he deserves. But as that doesn't look to be anytime soon, we'll stop his punishments, take the taxes and give them back to the poor where they belong." "We'll rob him," Charlotte murmured. "Exactly!" Robin exclaimed. He turned back to the outlaws. "If you lot had spines, you'd have been doing that for the last five years," he told them. "Inspiring, Lavender Boy," said one. "See you," said another.

Robin aimed an arrow at the outlaw who had spoken first. "I think you'll find that'd be a mistake," the outlaw said, somewhat smugly and his eyes flickered to something or someone behind them. They all looked behind them to see reinforcements. "You're not in a position to argue, idiot," Much said, who obviously had yet to turn around. Charlotte rolled her eyes as Much turned to face Robin. He had dropped his bow and put his hands in the air. "Ah," said Much. "Look, you've tied us up, we've tied you up, we could leave it! We could just be on our way!"

"Him I do not like," said the biggest outlaw as his ropes were cut away. "It appears to be mutual," Charlotte muttered. One of the reinforcements whispered in his ear. "Are you Robin of Locksley?" the biggest asked Robin. "Yes," Robin replied, slightly uncertainly. "Robin, Earl of Huntingdon?" the outlaw asked. "Yes," Robin said. "So your sister's name is Charlotte?" he asked. "Yes, that's me," Charlotte replied. "That's good," the outlaw said and knocked Robin out with a punch to the face. "You lot come with us," he said to Charlotte. "Tie their wrists together. We go to Locksley," he said the others.

"Let go of her!" Will exclaimed as one of the men held Charlotte's arms behind her back. Charlotte struggled against his grip until she realised that this man would not let go of her. _Better to take him by surprise_, she thought. _Why home though? Why are we going to Locksley? Outlaws are generally not inclined to take us home. Why are we going to Locksley?_

"Why Locksley?" Charlotte asked, voicing her thoughts. The biggest ignored her. She kicked the man that held her in the shins and broke free of his momentarily lax grip. "Why Locksley?" she asked the big man, storming over to him.

The man said nothing as he took her arms behind her back and handed her back to the other outlaw. "Why Locksley?" she repeated, burning with curiosity. "There's a reward for you and your brother," whispered the man as he tied her wrists together, this time in front of her. "Twenty pounds. Don't struggle or I'll have to get violent."

Charlotte did as she was told, lost in her own thoughts. _The Sheriff must be offering the reward for us,_ she thought. _Will the villagers turn against us and give us in just for a reward?_ She hoped not. _But they are starving_, she reminded herself. _Any money they can get, they use to feed their families. What if they do that just so they can eat? _The thought made her feel sick. Were she and Robin worth so little to the people of Locksley?

She hardly noticed when they dragged them forward. She was too busy thinking of the possibilities. _If they give us in, there's no escape. We'll die. But they only want Robin and I. They don't want Much, or Will or Allan. They'd still be outlaws. They could get us out of there._

The thought was ridiculous. There was no chance that they'd be able to escape. The Sheriff was too fearsome, even for her. He was powerful, and what could a small group of outlaws do to stop him?

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Please review!


	9. Hopes of Escape

Again, I'm sorry for the wait. Really, really sorry. But there's been a lot happening lately, and I haven't got the chance to upload this, so you get two chapters because of the impossibly long wait. Enjoy!

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Charlotte was torn abruptly from her thoughts of escape by the biggest outlaw tugging on the rope. She looked around, seeing Locksley below the small hill. She could see the Sheriff and Gisbourne, two powerful figures. Then there were the villagers of Locksley. They looked so small and weak compared to these two men, never mind that there were more of them than the Sheriff and Gisbourne.

The outlaw forced them to sit down, and started pouring water on Robin's face. "You could have untied him," Much protested as Robin woke up with a splutter.

"You've brought us home," he observed.

"Apparently there's a reward," Charlotte murmured quietly.

"Twenty pounds each for you two," said one man, grinning.

"Go down there and see if you can get something for them as well," said another man, gesturing to Much, Will and Allan.

"Me? I'm supposed to be dead, remember?" the first man reminded him.

"Me too. They won't recognise you," the other said.

"What if they do? I'll be hanged. What about John?" asked the first, gesturing to the biggest.

The other laughed. "John can't go, you idiot. If they're going to recognise anyone, it's going to be John!"

"We all go," John said firmly.

As they dragged them forward, Charlotte kept imagining ways of escaping. Every attempt involved her somehow breaking free of her ropes, which as nice a hope as it was, wasn't exactly going to happen anytime soon.

She was so lost in her fantastical hopes that she didn't notice the woman being dragged towards the Sheriff and Gisbourne, until the scream broke her reverie. Looking around, she saw the woman struggling furiously against a pair of guards. One held her arms and the other a pair of scissors.

"Oh my…" Charlotte trailed off

"That's Alice," John told them, fear evident in his voice. "My wife."

"You're Alice's John?" asked Will. "She thinks you're dead."

Charlotte cast her mind back. The woman – she had seen her before, and she knew it. Suddenly she remembered. "Her so-"

She was silenced as John grabbed her wrists and Robin's. "They want you two! We go now!"

"There's no time!" Robin told him. "I can save her, but you have to untie me. I need my bow."

John hesitated and looked at his wife. The guard had almost subdued her.

"Trust me," Robin said, and there was the faintest hint of pleading in his voice.

John finally relented and untied Robin. Accepting his bow and arrows from him, Robin shot a single arrow to make the guard let go of the scissors and then shot another, breaking the scissors. The guards let go of John's wife and looked in the direction of the arrow.

"Let's go," said one of the outlaws.

"Godspeed," Robin replied, looking towards the Sheriff.

_I know what you're going to do,_ Charlotte realised. _And I have to come with you._

"You're not giving yourself in," she replied, in spite of her thoughts.

"They'll hang you," Much protested.

"Then I won't die a 'dead man'," Robin retorted, looking at them.

"They want me too, so let me come!" Charlotte argued.

Robin looked at her. Her chin was set determinedly and her eyes held a look that clearly said _Don't even think of disagreeing_.

He nodded, and John untied her wrists.

"Then I'm coming too," Will said.

"And me," Much added.

Charlotte smiled sadly at her oldest and dearest friend and shook her head sadly. She almost said something, but Robin prevented her from doing so by taking her hand. "Ready to face the Sheriff and risk certain death?" he asked.

She grinned at him. "I was ready that moment I saved you from that guard."

He grinned back and helped her over the fence. Jumping over himself, he took his bow and fitted his head through the space between the string and the wood.

"Big head," Charlotte muttered. He only grinned.

"Good scheme, Sheriff!" he called as they walked towards the Sheriff and Gisbourne. "Very effective, don't you think?" he addressed the question to Charlotte.

"I think so," Charlotte replied confidently. "He deserves a reward himself for it. Oh, but what if we told him where we are? Do you think _we_ could claim the reward?"

"A pound or thereabout for each family," Robin said thoughtfully. "They could eat a whole winter off that."

"Sounds good to me," Charlotte told him. They turned to face the Sheriff and Gisbourne. Gisbourne wore a smug expression on his face that made Charlotte want to slap him.

"You're surrounded," the Sheriff told them.

"I am the new Lord of Locksley and soon-to-be Earl of Huntingdon," Gisbourne informed them loftily. "Your services here are no longer required. Put down your weapons."

Robin aimed the bow at him. Breaking the string, he threw it towards Gisbourne and laughed as the guards drew their swords and set them against his throat. There was a sharp intake of breath from Charlotte, and then she hid her emotions behind a calm façade, determined not to let them win.

"You both made a mistake, trying to play the peasant's heroes," the Sheriff told them.

"Why don't you play it, and show us how it's done?" asked Robin cheekily.

"You misunderstand me. You do not play games with me, as I'm sure the _former_ Lady Charlotte can tell you," answered the Sheriff. "In the morning, you will hang and I will be there to see it."

Charlotte looked at the scared faces of the villagers, and saw her own face reflected in their eyes. A calm girl – barely a woman, really – with fear in her eyes as she observed the village she had grown up in.

Then her eyes flickered to the small group of outlaws hiding behind a cottage. She could see Will's face, and Much's, both saying the same thing: _I won't let you die_.

She felt somewhat glad from this. Then she remembered the layers and layers of security in the castle, and her heart sank. There was no way out. Even though Will and Much were determined, they were no match for the various guards.

As the guard tied her wrists together (_More wrist-tying_, she thought), she could hear the Sheriff snarl to the villagers, "All hope lost?"

The horse dragged her off, and a blanket of impending doom settled on her shoulders. _How can we hope to escape?_

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